Blended from 8 AVAs and 11 vineyards, this bold, inky red blend is luxurious and very well blended, with concentrated cassis, blackberry and raspberry fruit laced with sage, cocoa, and vanilla. The acid levels and mellow tannins say, "Drink me soon," but if you're a fan of red blends like The Prisoner, consider punching a ticket to the next level. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the bill, but Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot all make an appearance. (92 Points)
This blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 3% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot could be labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I assume veteran winemaker Steve Rogstad wants some blending flexibility for future editions, so it is simply called a "proprietary red" blend. The real beauty of the wine is that it perfectly captures the terroir of Brandlin Estate on Mount Veeder at the southwestern end of the Mayacamas range. Mt. Veeder delivers great concentration, but fragrant wines that aren't heavy on the palate. That is exactly what you get here. The nose is of dried flowers with hints of madrone and mocha, and the winery describes the red and black currant fruit notes as "shimmering," which is pretty close to a perfect description. This gorgeous red is as feathery as it is powerful, and that's what Mt. Veeder does best. (94 Points)
This zingy, refreshing white is a real pleasure and very creatively assembled. It's a mix of about half Grenache Blanc plus Pinot Noir (pressed off the skins immediately), Gewurztraminer, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. It's the perfect spring white wine with racy white grapefruit, sweet pea, lime blossom and lime zest notes and great acidity, and there's tons of information about the wine on the creative, graphic label. For lack of having a great German Riesling on hand, I pulled it out of the fridge to try it with pork tenderloin roasted with cabbage, bacon, mustard and onion, and it did not disappoint one bit. It would be just as lovely with fresh oysters. (91 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
Puklavec & Friends 2013 Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot Grigio Slovenia ($8) I've been hearing about Slovenian wine from fellow wine writers for years, but I never had the opportunity to try any myself until recently. It is right over the border from Italy's Collio region, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that Slovenia is capable of making some impressive wine. I recently was sent a couple of bottles from Puklavec & Friends, most notably a delicious blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Pinot Grigio that captured my attention. It weighs in at a delicate 11.5% alcohol and has some of the grass and grapefruit hallmarks of Sauvignon Blanc, but also has an easy-going quince-like fruitiness from the Pinot Grigio. It would be great with shellfish or ceviche, and from what I'm seeing online, it looks like it sells for under ten bucks a bottle, which makes it a remarkable steal worth buying by the case. (90 Points)
